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2037 NFC East Season Preview

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  • 2037 NFC East Season Preview

    NFC East, one of the most colorful divisions in the league, has always been competitive and steep in history. With the crowning of New York Giants in 2036, they became the only division whose members have all won the FFL bowl at least once.

    All four teams have such distinct and often opposite philosophies: Philadelphia run-oriented strategy vs. Dallas pass-focused gameplan; New York assemblage of experienced key players vs. Washington’s young and upcoming army.

    As a whole, NFC East were 59-61 over the past three seasons against other divisions, average at best. Yet in 2036, three of the top five teams in “Points Scored per game.” hailed from NFC East.

    New York Giants


    The exemplification of how a team can be successful via big trades, the Giants put together a winning team by buying key players from their competitors. WR Dwaynne Lannen, TE Stanley Gomez, RB Clay Ford, DE Donnie Palumbo, FS Brady DeAngelis and QB T.J. “The Vag” Jordan were all drafted by someone else but achieved their pinnacles in the Big Apple. Coupled with a few smart draft picks (WR Justin Blackmon) and big FA acquisitions (DT Nick Farley) a championship team was born.

    Since Jordan joined the team in 2033, the Giants have been enjoying a monopoly in winning all four divisional titles. However, the reality is not as lopsided as it seems on the surface. In all but one of the previous 4 seasons, the Giants did not even have the best divisional records outright and edged out the titles by only one game.

    During their championship 2036 season, the Giants did not gain the most yards, did not allow the fewest yards, yet they held the honor of having the widest point margin of 8.3 (24.6PPG vs 16.3 OppPPG) What gives? Three words: “Red Zone Dominance.” The Giants control both ends of the field so well that offensively, they were 4th in RZ scoring and best in RZ rushing average. Defensively, they allowed the fewest points per visit. They just know how to capitalize where it matters most.

    Of course, the red zones only take up 40% of the field. To get them there, the Giants rely on Jordan’s long passing skills. They completed most long passes in 2036. Those long completions shortened the field and once the team got into the zone, they simply delivered. One-two punch and there you go, the successful formula of New York Giants. Quick cuts and precision kills. With the majority of their key players still on the team, don’t expect any big change to the winning formula.

    However, all the success comes with a price they have to repay later. All those experienced key vets they acquired cost the Giants a lot of draft picks. In fact, except for Mr. Irrelevant, they did not have any pick in this draft and many of their future top rounders have been sold already. As a result, the Giants are one of the oldest teams in the league. Fortunately, most of their vets are still in their primes to deliver a few great seasons. Their trade-for-win strategy is so successful that GM Tarcone does not hesitate to continue, “If a stud receiver or corner is on the market, we don’t mind giving up future 1st for them. You got the goods, we buy them. Just name the price.” Perfectly fits this city of exuberance.

    Philadelphia Eagles

    Philly once enjoyed a stretch of dominance during the 2020s. After hibernating for a couple seasons, they resurged as the King of Runs. In 2036, All-League 1st teamers RB Doug Martin and RT Josh Meier led the best rushing offense in the league while the 4th-year triplets of DT Darren Reid, DT Paul Lane and DE Duane Heyward stonewalled their way into a top-5 rushing defense. With the addition of 1st rounder OT Austin Anderson and 2nd rounder DE Bruce Hackney, Philly’s dominance on both fronts can only grow.

    In a pass-friendly league, it is refreshing to see a team focus so much of their efforts on pushing the ball one yard at a time. The fact that Philly enjoyed a wide margin of points, similar to the Giants, is a testament that such strategy works.

    However, has Philly overlooked the other side of the coin? E.J. Manuel, while promising, threw a league-highest 23 picks during the 2036 and received little help from their weak receiving corps. They were in bottom five in passing yardage. While the young quarterback will surely matures, the front office did not provide much weapon to help him grow. They even let their leading receiver Henry Hume and All-League 2nd team LT Tyrone Washington go.

    The defense side did not fare too much better either (Bottom 10 in passing yards surrendered) In a questionable move that infuriates many die-hard Eagle fans, they sold top-3 CB Ian Cajigal (while thankfully retained Colin Crangle) to Seattle during the off-season. While they partially made peace with the fans by signing CB Harvey Hopkins and S Fred McNeil, how the re-assembled secondary will perform remains to be seen.

    The Eagles have been very active during FA but left many wondering what kind of game they were playing. They signed and released no fewer than half a dozen of RBs, and did the same many other positions. Their audition line looks longer than that of American Idol.

    Their strategy of strengthening what is already strong but further weakening the soft side seems peculiar on paper. It seems so enticing for other teams to exploit the one-dimensional setup. GM Aston has already enjoyed a certain amount of fame in parallel universes so he may have some tricks in his sleeves that nobody else sees.

    Dallas Cowboys

    Opposite to the Eagles sit the Cowboys, whose strength is their passing game. Led by 4000-yarder veteran Grady Banks, they have one of the top passing offenses. They are the only team that broke the 8-yard average yards. Perennial all-team receiver Cornell Hurst is at the top of his game and shoulders the load. Highly-touted Robert Woods has yet to develop into a truly reliable 2nd WR to complement Hurst. But once he does, their aerial attacks cannot be stopped. With an O-Line that allowed the 3rd fewest sacks, Banks will have more than enough time to throw.

    With all the glamour of the passing game, the Cowboys were actually very balanced offensively and performed respectively in their running game in 2036, owing to RB Darren Pigeon and strongman OT Chuck Fredrickson. Unfortunately, Pigeon is no longer with the team and left a huge void and no replacement seems available. This will undoubtedly stress the passing game but GM Tom Landry seems confident that Banks and the gang will make up for what is lost in their running game.

    Moving to the other half of the roster reveals the biggest weakness of Dallas. This is a team that needs a lot of help in defense. They underperformed in both passing and rushing in 2036, giving up tons of yardage. CB Harold Foster did not play well and hopefully rookie S Tyrus Youngblood and help out. Rumor has it that new WLB Tim Macias will be switched to another position, leaving the WLB post to DROY Martin Lucas.

    With such a strong foundation in offense, if Dallas can improve on their D, they will be very formidable.

    Washington Redskins

    Far removed from its glory days during the founding years, the Skins have only made one playoff appearance in the last 18 seasons. All is due to change as this is one of youngest teams in the league and has the most balanced roster in NFC East. Most importantly, they have the biggest steal of draft 2036 – QB Matt Barkley. Only in his second year, Barkley is already in the top 3 in terms or ratings. Contrary to Philly’s Manuel, Barkley threw one of the league lowest 9 INTs in 2036 and he is already quite prolific in yards.

    Rookie WR Glen Wyse will make an instant impact not only as a receiver, but also in the PR/KR department. Exciting young RB Skip Lacina will take pressure off Barkley.

    While well-balanced with no glaring hole, Washington believes having a strong linebacker corp will be a key to their success. They have one of the exciting groups of young backers as evidenced by five 2nd rounders and a 1st rounder picked in this position over the past three years. This year is no exception as they added Vernon Gossage in the 2nd round.

    Their Achilles’ Heel is their red zone scoring (certainly does not help when having to face the Giants twice.) The Redskins were one of the only three teams to have scored more FGs than TDs when inside the red zone. They could not finish it off. Glen Wyse with his top-notch 100% 3rd down catching ability will complement Barkley’s 100% 3rd down throwing. They are already one the top 3 in RZ passing attempts. The pairing of Barkley and Wyse will grant them a much higher completion rate and could skyrocket them into one of the top RZ scoring teams.

    Having stocked with mostly young picks, the Redskins were not active at all during FA and no big signing came on board. However, with their emphasis on growing from within, this team can be one of the breakout teams of 2037.

    Prediction

    Four teams. Four distinct philosophies. Clash of paradigms. NFC East promises to be one the most exciting division to watch for in 2037. This year, however, could pose more challenges compared to last season to the division as a whole. In 2036 they faced NFC South, but this year they have to face NFC North, the highest scoring division last year. Dallas and Philly will get severely tested. Over on the AFC side, their opponents go from AFC North (one the weakest division in terms of points allowed) to AFC West, which arguably may present a stronger defense. NFC East may not be able to rack up as much points as they did in 2036. Overall, there is a good chance that NFC East will have a slightly worse record against opponents outside their division.

    Giants’ GM Tarcone made the bold claim that New York will repeat. Will that happen? Money on Vegas says no by a narrow margin as NFC North will present a strong challenge and then AFC East could send three strong teams to the playoffs. However, the bet is that Giants will be able to retain the divisional title as the core team that won it all has remain mostly intact.

    Dallas lost its running game and its defense remains porous. Too much to overcome despite having Banks and Hurst on board.

    Philly is rock solid in runs. However, despite the growth of Manual, their passing game will continue to be a liability but thankfully their offense will remain strong.

    Washington seems to have the most upside in our opinion but that young age makes it hard to predict where they will finish.

    We made the following prediction:

    NYG 10-6
    PHI 9-7
    WAS 8-8
    DAL 6-10

    The above analyses and predictions are purely the fictional fabrication of Denver Broncos. We assume no responsibilities for any bet lost due to unconditional buy-in and we will not respond to or initiate any flame war. Leave the bad blood between NYG and Philly.
    Last edited by Red Zone; 10-29-2013, 06:58 PM.
    "The problem with life is that we have to live it from the beginning, but it makes sense only when seen from the end." - M. Kaplan in Chances are.

  • #2
    Awesome work, cyril! Thanks for doing this.

    Ohh, man, I don't know about us being able to finish ahead of Dallas. My personal feeling is that we three teams (along with the Giants) are all going to be jousting for two playoff spots. Washington's young yet and I think they'll struggle this year. On the other hand, without Manuel we have nothing; the drop-off is utterly terrifying there. If he misses any time as he did last year, it's guaranteed losses we can't afford to swallow. The Giants and Cowboys both seem to have two QBs; the Cowboys, in particular, have two starting capable QBs.

    Should be a fun ride! and yeah, the audition lines are long in Philly. So few guys had contracts at the start of the offseason or spots locked down on the team that we went with the 'cast a wide net' strategy. The final 53 is only now taking form. I didn't realize my other tackle was 2nd team all-league last year, though. It's a good thing that trade ended up directly landing us WR Herb Mathews at 5.30, or it would've been a real bummer.
    OSFL commissioner and ex-Eagles of the FFL GM

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    • #3
      Originally posted by aston2171 View Post
      awesome work, cyril! Thanks for doing this.

      Ohh, man, i don't know about us being able to finish ahead of dallas. My personal feeling is that we three teams (along with the giants) are all going to be jousting for two playoff spots. Washington's young yet and i think they'll struggle this year. On the other hand, without manuel we have nothing; the drop-off is utterly terrifying there. If he misses any time as he did last year, it's guaranteed losses we can't afford to swallow. The giants and cowboys both seem to have two qbs; the cowboys, in particular, have two starting capable qbs.

      should be a fun ride! And yeah, the audition lines are long in philly. So few guys had contracts at the start of the offseason or spots locked down on the team that we went with the 'cast a wide net' strategy. The final 53 is only now taking form. I didn't realize my other tackle was 2nd team all-league last year, though. It's a good thing that trade ended up directly landing us wr herb mathews at 5.30, or it would've been a real bummer.
      hording!!!!!!!

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by aston2171 View Post
        Awesome work, cyril! Thanks for doing this.

        Ohh, man, I don't know about us being able to finish ahead of Dallas. My personal feeling is that we three teams (along with the Giants) are all going to be jousting for two playoff spots. Washington's young yet and I think they'll struggle this year. On the other hand, without Manuel we have nothing; the drop-off is utterly terrifying there. If he misses any time as he did last year, it's guaranteed losses we can't afford to swallow. The Giants and Cowboys both seem to have two QBs; the Cowboys, in particular, have two starting capable QBs.

        Should be a fun ride! and yeah, the audition lines are long in Philly. So few guys had contracts at the start of the offseason or spots locked down on the team that we went with the 'cast a wide net' strategy. The final 53 is only now taking form. I didn't realize my other tackle was 2nd team all-league last year, though. It's a good thing that trade ended up directly landing us WR Herb Mathews at 5.30, or it would've been a real bummer.
        Hoarding!!!!!!!

        Comment


        • #5
          Good times ahead. And the Giants may be looking to shore up the defense to stop those running backs that the division features. Hmmmm.

          Well done Cyril.

          Comment


          • #6
            Excellent write-up! Thanks for putting in the time!!!

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